US easing Venezuela oil sanctions in response to election deal -official

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FILE PHOTO: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela June 12, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo

FILE PHOTO: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela June 12, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo

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WASHINGTON - The Biden administration plans to provide some sanctions relief for Venezuela's oil and gas sector almost immediately in response to a 2024 election deal reached between the Venezuelan government and the country's opposition, a senior U.S. State Department official told Reuters.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. is going ahead with a broad easing of energy-related sanctions but is prepared to reverse those steps if President Nicolas Maduro's government fails to lift the ban on opposition presidential candidates and release political prisoners. REUTERS

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